


The Crystal Clods

by TwinCarcino



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Humor, Momswap, discontinued
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:12:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7561735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinCarcino/pseuds/TwinCarcino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jasper, Peridot and Lapis are the only remaining members that made up the team known as the Crystal Gems. A group dedicated to protecting Earth and all its life. Though, more often than not, they are simply the caregivers to their deceased leaders son; Steven, who is learning his own powers and coming into his own as a member of the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Power of Cookie Cat

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on Fanfiction too. But, as I said on there in a much more long-winded way; I'm not sure if this will just be a one-chapter thing. If you readers like it well enough, I'll write more, and if not, then we'll see.
> 
> As I said on there, I don't plan on making this a play-by-play of what the episodes go like. Though I guess it's not a perfect example in this chapter. Jasper, Peridot and Lapis are going to be a bit OOC since their histories are quite different than in canon now, and it isn't going to be Jasper is a direct counterparts to Garnet, Peridot to Pearl and so on. I've already written down the backstories, how and why they joined the Crystal Gems and so on, not sure yet for Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst just yet. 
> 
> But, let me know what you think, whether I should continue or not and so on so forth. Always let me know if there are ways I can improve or not.

It was a normal day at the Big Doughnut for most people at Beach City, unfortunately, Steven was not 'most people'. His day far from normal he stared horrified through the glass at the empty racks where his favorite treats had once sat. Mind trying to comprehend why they were gone, they _couldn't_ all be gone, could they?

"Lars! Lars!" Steven cried, rushing to the tall, lanky young man who was opening a box at the counter. Latching his arms around Lars waist, ignoring the disdainful look he got from the other, "This has to be a dream! Please! Tell me I'm dreaming!" he begged.

In response, Lars roughly shoved him off, "Get off me! I'm stocking!" he snapped, stalking away, box in hands, ignoring Steven who collapsed face down on the ground.

At least Sadie had a look of pity, or rather just surprise.

"I'm sorry, Steven," she apologized, leaning over the counter so she could look at him, "I guess they just decided to stop making them."

That got the young boy to sit up, turning to look at her in pure and utter confusion, "Stop making them?" he repeated, voice raising in pitch, "Why would they stop making them? Cookie Cat is the most scrumptious, delicious ice cream treat ever made! Don't they have _laws_ for this?" Why would anyone be insane enough to stop making Cookie Cat? How could anyone do such a thing?

Walking by, Lars gave an annoyed sigh as he crouched down to handle a low shelf, "Tough luck, man. Nobody buys them anymore, just weren't popular," he explained and shot a glance at a different shelf of ice cream snacks, one with a lion head on it, "Guess they just couldn't handle the heat Lion Lickers brought in."

"Lion Lickers?" Steven asked, marching up to the glass and glaring at it, "Why would _anyone_ buy _Lion Lickers_? Nobody likes them. They don't even look like lions!" he complained, planting his fists on his hips, "Kids these days! I tell you what!"

Completely ignoring the fact that he, too, was a kid.

A snicker from Lars drew his attention behind him. "Well, if you miss your wimpy ice cream so much, why not just make some with your magic bellybutton?" he asked, snorting with laughter as he carried the empty box back to the counter.

Oh, as though he hadn't heard Lars make that comment a hundred times before. "It doesn't work like that, Lars!" Steven called back for the thousandth time. Then, confused and curious, he lifted his shirt to look at the pink gem on his belly, "Right?" he asked himself, pressing the skin around it and letting go. He couldn't make ice cream with his gem powers, at least he didn't think so. Not that he actually knew how to use his powers yet to begin with.

Sighing, Steven made his way back to the empty Cookie Cat display, "Oh, sweet Cookie Cats, with your crunchy cookie outside and sweet creamy ice cream insides," he said, drawing a Cookie Cat face on the foggy glass and pressing his forehead against it, "You were too good for this world. I'll miss you," with that, he gave a goodbye kiss to the display.

Sadie, staring at him with a mixture of emotions, most of them being of the 'what is he doing?' nature, spoke up. "Uh, Steven?" she began, but got no response from the mourning boy who was hugging the Cookie Cat display case. Lars had joined her in staring at the boy, matching a similar expression as her, "Do you want to take that freezer with you?"

The half-breed just nodded, still clinging to it.

"It's all yours then, I guess," she said.

His frown turned to a wide smile within seconds, and quickly he unplugged the machine. The cord was turned into a strap as he placed the freezer on his back and wrapped it around him before either Sadie or Lars could get a word in. It looked more like a metal backpack now than a display case-slash-freezer.

Pushing the door open with new energy, he waved goodbye to the employees, "Bye Sadie, Lars! I'll see you guys' tomorrow!" he shouted before making his dash out

After he left, Lars gave Sadie a puzzled look, "I'm surprised you didn't tell him who bought all the treats," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Remembering the giant of a woman who had barged into their store earlier that day, grabbed all the Cookie Cat treats and stormed out, only to have a different woman come in and pay for the treats before either could call the cops for theft.

"I thought it'd be best not to, let him be surprised," Sadie said with a shrug, turning to grab the box and throw it into the back.

Steven, already running out to the beach, was still in mourning for his treats, but there was still a tinge of joy to his day. He may have lost his favorite treat, but at least he got the Cookie Cat freezer to remember the wonderful treat by! He could store so many things in it, and keep so many ice cream treats in his room! Sure, they may not even come close to the joy Cookie Cat gave him, but, better something than nothing.

The trek to the beach was one of him jogging and a little bit of skipping. Humming the Cookie Cat theme song to himself as he held tight to the cord-belt that kept the machine to his back. He couldn't wait to show the others, and even more, let them know the devastating news.

The temple was quick to come into view. Light house, his house, statue. Everything grew closer and within minutes he was dashing up the steps and kicking the door open. "Hey! Guys! You won't believe what-" his words turned into a scream as he was tackled to the ground by something big, black and green.

A creature the size of a dog that looked like a centipede. It let out angry hisses as Steven screamed, digging dozens of legs into his skin. Steven doing everything he could to keep it's snapping mouth from biting off his face.

A hand made of water lurched out grabbing the creature and pulling it away from Steven as it turned into a collar and chain. The other end of the chain being held tight by a dress wearing blue gem.

"Hey, Steven," Lapis said, giving the water chain another harsh tug as the corrupted monster tried to lash at Steven once more. "Welcome back, have a good day?" She gave a huff as she threw the creature into the corner of the room.

It was at this that Steven saw truly just how many of these monsters were infesting his house. Dozens of them. Dozens of dozens of them, all angry and out for blood, and chewing up the furniture.

He looked at the warp pad as he caught sight of a small blast of green. Peridot was standing atop it, shooting down the creature with her energy canons, disconnected fingers lifting and pushing away the creatures, trying her best to keep them at bay. "Greetings, Steven," she said, giving a hard kick to one that got to close to her.

Steven watched the creature fly, landing in the large hand of a giant of a gem made of pure muscle. "And stay down!" Jasper yelled out, breaking the creature back on her knee, delivering deadly punch after punch on nearing ones, giving a devastating headbutt to the ones that tried to jump at her. Hard helmet smashing it back to the ground.

She grabbed one that tried to jump past her, ripping it in half, and a moment later it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Despite the clear danger it was to be there, Steven had stars in his eyes as he watched the three chase after and cut down these monsters invading his home, each one dissipating into smoke after being defeated. His eyes followed one running by with a half destroyed pillow in its salivating mow.

"Awesome!" he breathed, setting down the freezer, "What are these things?"

"Centipeetles," Peridot explained, grunting as she pulled one out from under the coffee table, "Sorry they're eating everything, we'll get these clods out of your room," she said, glaring down as it squirmed in her arms, legs flailing about, "They were trying to get into the Temple."

"Aw," Steven said, walking towards her, scratching the creatures belly, "You don't have to get rid of them. I think they're pretty cool," even if they were devouring everything in his home that wasn't edible. They were worse than Jasper when it came to eating, at least _she_ didn't try to eat the couch.

The green gem quickly jerked the centipeetle away as it spat out a light green substance between Steven and Peridot. The wooden floor quickly melting away under the acidic venom. Both gem and boy shared a grimace as they stared down at the hole it made into the ground.

One was thrown into the wall by an jet of water, going into a cloud of smoke after a weak tremble. "Guys," Lapis said, dashing up to it and looking back at the others in confusion, "These things don't have gems."

Peridot turned up her nose as the creature continued to flail in her arms, "A mother must be close by, then," she said, grimacing as the creature spat out more acid.

"Sounds like we've got a hunting trip to go on," Jasper added, walking up to her and elbowing a centipeetle into a cloud of smoke. "

At the idea of an adventure and mission out of Beach City to search for the mother, Stevens eyes grew wide with excitement, "Oh! Can I come? Can I come?" he asked eagerly, almost jumping where he stood as three pairs of eyes fell on him.

Peridot gave one of her weird laughs, "Steven, it's best that you leave protecting humanity to us until you learn how to control your powers," she said, snapping the centipeetles neck before it could spew any more acid at Steven.

"Aw man," Steven sighed, dejected at the rejection. But the sound of the fridge opening had him up in arms as he rushed over, "Hey! Get out of there!" he yelled at the centipeetle that was currently eating his food. It stared at him and ran off as he threw himself between it and the fridge, knocking over a carton of eggs and milk onto the ground.

"Go on!" Steven yelled, waving his arms, "Get out of here!" he yelled, and turned around the access the damage, giving another pained noise. This day just wasn't going his way, "It got into everything," he whined.

The centipeetle responsible for the fridge tried to escape, only to run into a thick, orange leg. Looking up slowly as the Quartz warrior cracked her knuckles, grinning down at it and crushing it under her foot.

"Not cool!" Steven yelled at it right as it poofed, turning back to the fridge.

His eyes fell to the freeze whos door had fallen open in the centipeetles rummaging, and they became wide as saucers as he stared at the ice cream treats laying in a pile up there. His heart gave a sudden thump, unsure if he was looking at reality or not. The pink wrapping, the black, smiling cat face. Could it be?

"No way…" he breathed, reaching and grabbing one of the ice cream treats as Lapis stepped over and closed it to keep from letting the treats melt. "Cookie Cat? Where did you get these? They stopped making them!"

Lapis just gave him an affectionate smile, walking over now that the last of the centipeetles were gone, "Well, we heard that too," she explained, "And, since they're your favorite-"

"We went out and stole a bunch," Jasper finished, giving a toothy smile.

Peridot rolled her eyes, hand on her hips, " _I_ went back and paid for them," she added, shooting the large gem a glare, then giving a conceited smile, "It was my idea."

" _Everyones_ idea," Jasper amended.

"Not really."

"Look," Lapis said pushing between the two gems, gesturing to the small boy, "All that matters is that Steven is happy."

Steven was staring down, grinning widely at the treat, "Ooooooh!" he yelled, surprising the three, "He's a frozen treat! With an all new taste!" Steven said, or rather, rapped, focusing hard on the ice cream bar in hand, ignoring the confused looks his guardians had, "Because he came to this planet from outer space! A refuge, of an interstellar war! But now he's at your local grocery store!"

Jasper stifled a snicker as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching Steven rap, though Lapis had a bit of an uncomfortable look and Peridot just seemed confused as their Steven finished up the song with enough enthusiasm to make up for the lack of it from the other three.

Yet, even though they didn't quite get the song, the three gems broke into laughter, just by seeing Steven having fun.

He was still all smiles as he looked at each of them, "I can't believe you guys did this! I'm going to save them forever," he promised, looking back to the one in his hands, " _Riiiight_ after I eat this one."

The package was opened and the treat taken out with such care that it may have been the holy grail. "Hello, old friend," Steven said, taking a bite out of it while the others watched with smiles. Proud of themselves for making him happy like this.

Their smiles turned to looks of surprise and awe as Steven began talking.

"Soooo good!" he said, swallowing, "I like to eat the ears first."

Jasper and Peridot exchanged looks, and the green gem leaned forward, "Um, Steven? Your stomach."

"My stomach? I won't get a stomach ache," he said, confused as he looked down. Nearly dropping his treat as he took notice of the pink glow. His gem was glowing. _His gem was glowing_. "W-w-whoa! My gem!" he shouted in awe and joy.

"Quick!" Jasper yelled, shoving the other two aside to kneel beside him, she was always the most rambunctious and excited when it came to Steven activating his powers, "Try and summon your weapon!"

"But I don't know how!"

As quickly as it came, it the glow was fading away, and Steven was up in a panic.

"It's fading!" he yelled, looking at Peridot desperately, "How do I make it come back? How do I get it to come back?"

She leaned forward nervously, "Calm down, calm down," she tried, "try not to force it, breathe, relax."

The glow was gone and all four let out a sigh of disappointment and Steven fell to his rump.

"It's okay, Steven," Lapis tried, sitting beside him, "You got a glow, that's good enough, right?"

Peridot let out a quick 'you're making progress!' to help raise his mood, and Steven nodded, still dejected about the outcome. "I was so close that time. Can't one of you guys just explain how to summon a weapon?" he asked, looking at them.

The two smaller gems shared uncomfortable looks, but Jasper nodded, actually looking eager to try this. "I'll go first, come on, squirt," she said, hoisting him up and taking him to the warp pad before any objections could be made. The others staying rooted where they stood, not quite sure if it was a good idea or not to let Jasper make off with Steven.

With Steven still in her arm, the two warped, and found themselves on a rocky area, it almost looked like an old battlefield. Deadly and dangerous with the sharp stones poking out of the earth in hostility.

Jasper placed him down and stood before him. She stared at him dead in the eyes, making him feel much smaller than he already was.

"Quartz gems are warriors, created to be deadly forces on the battlefield. Steven, your mother was a Quartz, just like me, and you too are half-Quartz, your gem built for battle," she said, using a thick arm to gesture to the area around them. "Think of this as a field of war. Gems fighting one another, battle, blood, the cries of war. The music to your gem is the rush of the fight. The cries of the enemy."

Steven stared, confused, flinching as he began to see transparent gems fighting around them as Jasper spoke. Not sure if it was real, or if he was just imagining it, but knowing Jasper, he had to wonder if this actually _was_ a battlefield, one of the many she had fought on alongside his mother during the rebellion. The thought had filled him with an uncomfortable feeling as a hand came to rest on his gem and Jaspers free hand rested on his shoulder as she kneeled down.

"Think of the battle, think of the fight, Steven. Your gem will give you your weapon to crush your foes," as she said that, the gem on her nose glowed and her helmet materialized on her. "It is an extension of yourself, ready to be called upon and used! Go full force at your enemy, and just, rip them a new one!"

Face contorted into uneasy confusion, Steven stared at the area, now void of the imaginary gems. His buff surrogate-mom was a bit too excited for a fight… and Steven didn't exactly see himself as the 'natural warrior' that she considered Quartz to be. "Um… okay?"

Jasper picked him up with her arm, hoisting him up onto her shoulder, "Train your body hard and you'll be the finest soldier! You'll be able to knock back giants!" she said, puffing out her chest and giving a wide smile full of teeth, "We'll make a Quartz out of you yet!"

* * *

Her words still rang in his head as he found himself walking along the beach with Lapis. His water friend staying closest to the water, watching with mild interest as he let out a battle cry, tackling an outcropped rock in their way.

"Did Jasper tell you the Quartz thing?" she asked as she picked the boy up from the rock.

Steven gave a nod as he was put back on his feet, "Yeah, I got to train real hard so I can trip up giants, or something. Thought if I acted like I was in a battle, something would happen."

She gave a tinkling laugh, "Look, Steven. Relax, I don't think any giants are going to be coming over any time soon," she said shaking her head, "Besides, isn't all that training going to get boring? You won't have any time to hang out with your Beach Summer Fun Buddy."

"True… but Jaspers right, I am half a Quartz, so wouldn't it make sense to try like a Quartz?" he asked.

Lapis laughed again, shaking her head, "That's not really true, besides why would a Quartz need special training to use their weapon? I can use mine, and I sure didn't go through that torture she calls a workout," she said, manipulating the water to form a small scale replica of the Eifel Tower. "It's just natural, I don't even have to try hard at all. What makes you so different? Your powers shouldn't be something you got to work hard and strain yourself to summon."

Steven nodded numbly, watching as Lapis began to make the water change shapes for him, a flock of seagulls, a herd of horses, even a water made Nessie. Breaking into laughter as the creature Lapis made shot him with water.

"Hey, no fair!" he said dashing around to splash some at her.

Still, as they began their water fight, he couldn't shake his uneasiness. Mind still sorting through what she and Jasper told him, trying to figure out his own gem powers. Even an hour later when he was coming home soaked, he was still thinking, mulling it all over.

* * *

The next morning, he found himself sitting beside Peridot outside the house. Some mechanical contraption before them as she focused hard on it. Fingers working to tighten screws, weld metal together, adjust wiring, and Steven was there as her faithful assistant, handing her the tools and objects she needed.

"Screwdriver."

Steven handed it over, not even watching to see what the green gem was doing.

"Jasper is persistent that, because I'm a Quartz, I need to work really hard and do military training I guess to activate my gem power, but Lapis said that I shouldn't even need any effort to use it," he said, laying on the grass, staring up at the sky. Fiddling with the tool box that rested on his stomach.

Peridot gave a hum to show she was listening, bringing the metal machine into the air so she could rotate it and begin work on what would have been an inaccessible side, "Screws. Say about, six or so."

He plopped the small objects into her outstretched hand, which they promptly floated away from to hover beside her as she continued work.

"I get it, I am a Quartz, but I don't think I could handle the kind of training she'd put me through. I'm still part human, too," he continued, a grimace forming as he thought of whatever work out seminars the buff gem would put him through. If it was anything like the training she did, he would not survive the first day. "But, if what Lapis said was true, then wouldn't I have already summoned my weapon by now?"

Steven handed her over a wrench upon being requested, not taking a break in his speaking, "I tried both methods, I really did. I tried not trying at all, nothing happened. I worked myself until I passed out afterwards, and still not even a glow!" he sat up, looking at the toolbox as it fell to his lap sullenly. "I'm starting to think that the glow yesterday was just a fluke. I'm probably not going to get it again."

The machine before them fell to the ground with a gentle thud, and Peridot turned to look at him. Eyes studying the small boy from behind her visor. Then, with a sigh of her own, she crouched down before him. "Steven," she began, "It wasn't a fluke. These things will take time, you just have to be patient. Using Jasper or Lapis' methods won't work _because_ it's Jasper and Lapis' ways, not yours. Just be patient, and let your weapon come out on its own."

"Is that how you figured it out?" he asked her.

Peridot gave a small snicker, shaking her head, "Sort of, I had to learn everything like you do, because I wasn't _made_ for fighting," she said, giving a inward smile, remembering the days and nights Rose Quartz had spent to make a fighter out of her. Their deceased leader had certainly put up with a lot of her tantrums and fits back then, if it hadn't been for her, Peridot wouldn't have learned she had any powers at all, "I'll tell you what your mother told me; Take it one step at a time, and your power will come out when it's ready."

Mulling over her words, Steven looked up and gave her a smile, "I think you're right," he conceded, "Yeah! I'll just wait, and I'm sure my powers will form on their own! I mean, I already got a glow without trying to force it!"

"Exactly," Peridot said, beginning to place the tools back in the box. It coming to rest atop her machine as she held a hand out to him, "So, while you wait for your powers to come, how about we go inside and get you a Cookie Cat treat and watch one of those shows on your entertainment device you enjoy?"

His smile grew wider as he latched onto the detached fingers, "Cookie Cat! Yeah! Come on, let's go! Crying Breakfast Friends should be on soon!"

"I still don't understand that show at all."


	2. Baby Lessons 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided I'll make this a multi-chapter instead of just the one. Sorry this is quite a bit shorter than the last one

"Jasper! Jasper, no!" Greg yelled, trying to reach desperately for the baby held in the gems hand, But Jasper was keeping him back effortlessly with her other hand, keeping him just out of reach. "You can't hold him like that, you've got to support his neck, he's fragile!"

"Like this?" the orange Quartz asked, adjusting her grip into an almost strangle hold as she held Steven by the shoulders and neck in her hand, clearly not quite understanding how the proper way to hold a baby was. Steven didn't seem to be complaining too much, but his eyes were wide with what Jasper would call excitement.

Greg wrung his hands, looking warily towards the Warp Pad behind her in the unfinished house, "Are you _sure_ Peridot isn't here?" he asked. Personally, he was a lot more comfortable with Peridot holding and watching over Steven than Jasper. Even Lapis was preferable, but the water gem was currently at the shop where she was helping him out today with the car washes.

Usually it was just Greg down there, but Lapis enjoyed coming down to help when she had nothing better to do, saying she enjoyed it, and Peridot was always ready to assist when he needed help making car repairs. Jasper, being the strongest of them, also helped out now and then, she was like a living tow truck when they needed cars to be moved and Peridot wasn't present to use her metal powers to get the job done.

"I told you, she's out Stars know where doing her nerd work," Jasper said, adjusting her grip on Steven again. Was she holding him to tightly, not tight enough? Why was he so tiny anyways, he was a Quartz, did he stay in Rose's stomach too long, and that was why he was so tiny? But Jasper had never heard of a overcooked gem getting to be _that_ small.

That didn't do much to ease Greg as he tried to wretch his son from the Quartz warrior, "you know, maybe I should just take him to the car wash with me. You know how Steven loves those bubbles, and the rainbows Lapis makes with the water," he said with a nervous laugh.

His words fell on deaf ears as Jasper pushed him back once more, keeping the baby well out of the father's reach, "It's fine, he'd be a distraction for you too if you kept him around," she said, bringing him closer to her face. Steven stuck his tongue out at her, blowing a raspberry without really knowing why.

"True, but some father-son bonding never hurts, right?" he asked, looking around once again and adding under his breath, _"Peridot, where are you?"_

Almost as though an answer from God himself, the Warp Pad sprang to life and a tall, lanky green Gem stepped from it. Finger screen out in front of her as her attention focused on it, writing down notes and working on her log as she made her report for the mission she just conducted.

"Ocean Warp Pad has been repaired," she said to herself as she stepped of the pad, "Damage was minimum. Cause of damage; a sunken ship landing atop it. All tests completed without failure, all functions working, all problems fixed, and the ship dutifully removed," she said, detached fingers typing away at the screen. She had yet to take notice of Greg or Jasper and was well on her way of passing them completely to return to her room.

Greg could barely contain his joy as he saw her, "Peridot! Hey Peridot!" he shouted, gaining her attention as she looked over and began a quick approach "Hey, Peridot, can you watch Steven? I've got to run to the auto shop before Lapis floods another car."

Her eyes lit up as she saw the small boy in Jaspers hands, "Oh! Of course! I'll be sure to repair any damage Lapis causes as well."

The human gave a quick thanks, making a dash out of the incomplete house before the two gems could argue. He couldn't help but pray to whatever God watched over them that, when the house was finished and Steven old enough to live in it, that Greg wasn't going to regret letting him stay with the main supervision from the three gems.

Peridot wore a huge smile as she stood up on the tips of her toes, fingers splayed as she looked at Steven, "Why, hello there, little Steven!" she cooed, finger coming up to tap his small nose, receiving a wide smile in response, "Are you staying with us for the day? I think you are, isn't that delightful?"

Her gaze turned to Jasper, a hard glare, "Are you trying to pop his neck off?" she asked, taking note to how Jasper was holding him, "Or are you trying to strangle him?"

"I know what I'm doing, I'm supporting his neck," Jasper retorted, holding him closer to her chest, "You have to do that, Greg said so."

"Well, you're doing it wrong, you clod! That's _not_ how you hold a baby."

Jasper turned up her nose, "How would you know?" she snapped, loosening her grip on Steven at least, trying to hold him a little gentler.

The smaller of them gave a weird 'nyeh' laugh, crossing her arms over her chest proudly, "Remember which of us spent the entire incubation stage researching the human infant cycle? I know more about human babies than Greg."

Jasper couldn't argue with that, the little green nerd had spent Roses pregnancy reading and researching everything she could to ensure that Steven would be safe once born. But, Peridot tended to go a little crazy in that regard. Baby proofing everything and anything, a complete germaphobe in fear of Steven getting sick, and in a panic whenever Jasper or Lapis was holding him.

But, Jasper knew it wasn't an argument she was going to win, and reluctantly handed over the baby, "Fine," she muttered angrily, then, as Peridot took him, added softer, "Can you at least, you know, _show_ me how to hold him?"

Tucked safely into her arms, Peridot gave Steven a warm smile, "There, there. All safe and sound now, aren't you, little Steven?" she asked, bringing a finger up to tickle his stomach before turning to Jasper. Examining her and thinking before coming to an answer. "I suppose I can, it couldn't hurt," she conceded.

Moving her body so that Jasper could see what she was doing, she used the same finger that tickled Steven to brush some curly hair from his face. "See how I'm holding him? Let him rest along your arm, then use your other to support his head," she said, though it was easier for her when her fingers could act like a safety bars to keep him in, "You weren't wrong, it is vital to protect his neck. Most importantly, you've got to be gentle. Steven's human body is not as durable as a gems, especially at this age."

Jasper nodded, crossing her arms and watching as Peridot gently rocked Steven who was growing drowsy now. Walking towards the living room where she had set up a play area for him. Sitting down beside the play pen, she looked at the tall gem.

"Do you want to try holding him, properly this time?" she asked, pretending not to see the way Jasper brightened, holding her arms out expectantly. With a sigh, Peridot gently deposited Steven into the thick orange limbs, "Just be careful, okay?"

Her hold was awkward, constantly shifting, and it had awoken Steven who was well on his way to slumber land. Peridot hovered over them like a hawk, criticizing and adjusting Jaspers hold until it was perfect.

Eventually, Steven was let onto the floor, set to play with his toys as the two gems watched over him, affectionate smiles on their faces as he placed with the blocks and plastic keys.

Needless to say, Greg was beyond relieved when he came back with Lapis. Finding his son was in one piece and the two weren't arguing. He too joined them on the floor, playing with the baby as Peridot took far too many pictures and Jasper and Lapis made ridiculous faces to get laughs from him.


End file.
